After a disappointing run in the UFC, Impa Kasanganay became the PFL’s light heavyweight champion and won $1 million in a 2023 league tournament, a significant turnaround from living in his car just six months prior.
Impa Kasanganay’s UFC journey was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. He didn’t let a disappointing run define him.
In 2020, Kasanganay joined the UFC with a 7-0 record. He came from Dana White’s Contender Series and was seen as a promising prospect. He even beat Maki Pitolo in his UFC debut.
His second UFC fight, however, was memorable for all the wrong reasons. He was caught by Joaquin Buckley with an unbelievable kick knockout. After two more fights, he was out of the UFC.
Fast forward to now, Kasanganay is the PFL’s light heavyweight champion. He’s a million dollars richer after winning a 2023 league tournament. He revealed on The MMA Hour that six months ago, he was living in his car.
“I got distracted with life,” he admitted. He thought he’d be in the UFC for a while, but three months later he was cut. He started working an executive protection job, but they wanted him to choose between them and fighting.
“MMA is my ministry. I love what I get to do,” he said. He trusted God’s plan for his life, even when he had no money left. He moved to Florida, thinking he’d be in the UFC for the long haul. But that wasn’t in God’s plan.
“I’m so grateful the UFC cut me,” he stated. He saw it as a blessing. He didn’t find his footing in the UFC after the loss to Buckley. A drop to welterweight resulted in a win, a loss, and a parting of ways with the promotion.
Kasanganay got back on track with a win over Jared Gooden. He then received a call to compete on the PFL’s Challenger Series. A knockout of Osama Elseady earned him a spot in the league’s upcoming light heavyweight tournament. Four wins later, he was a champion and millionaire.
Looking back at where he was 12 months ago, the turnaround is surreal. “This time last year I was living on the farm, I had just got done living out of my car and my teammate’s couch,” he recounted. He lived on a farm in Doral, pretty much going into the Everglades.
Kasanganay never let his spirits sink too low. He kept his professional struggles separate from personal ones. The son of Congolese immigrants, he had a relentless work ethic and a strong sense of accountability.
Living out of a car, he made the most of the situation. “When I got to that car, it was the only place I could be peaceful, in that front seat,” he said. He would Instacart stuff to the gym, eat, and then start reorganizing himself. He worked in accounting again but never missed training.
Kasanganay was reluctant to ask friends, family, and Kill Cliff FC teammates for help. He eventually stayed with a teammate, but he refused the offer of a bed in favor of sleeping on the couch.
He believes his struggles led him to success. “It was due to that time and those people in my life,” he said. He lived off of a couple of thousand dollars at the best of times, and sometimes he dipped into the negative. He continued going to the gym and worked odd jobs, with most of his earnings going towards training.
Kasanganay never thought of quitting. He attributes this mentality to his mother, father, and sister, who showed him what hard work means. “I owe it to them,” he said. He also felt he owed it to the kids back in Congo, kids in the United States, and around the world.
“I chose to fight. I could go and be a CPA, live a comfortable life, no, when God calls you to do something you stick with it, no matter how you feel,” he concluded.